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(N6 Mod'eI.) I J. MARTIN.

COMBINED LIFE BOAT AND MATTRESS. No. 395,986. Patented Jan. 8 1889.

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No. 395,986. Patented Jan. 8, 18 89.

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COMBINED LIFE BOAT AND MATTRES$.- v v No. 395,986i I Patented Jan,8,1889;

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UNITED STATES Fries,

.IOI'IN MARTIN, OF DAYLESFORD, VICTORIA.

COMBINED LIFE-BOAT AND MATTRESS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,986, dated January8, 1889. Application filed July 18, 1888. Serial No. 280,292- (No modeldPatented in Victoria May 21, 1887, No. 5,080.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MARTIN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Daylesford, in the British Colony of Victoria,cordial manufacturer, have invented new and useful improvements in andrelating to ships mattresses to enable them to be converted into acollapsible boat, (for which I have obtained a patent in the BritishColony of Victoria, dated the 21st day of May, 1887, and numbered5,080,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of improvements in and relating to shipsmattresses to enable them to be convert-ed into a collapsible boat; andits object is to provide a mattress which may be readily converted intoa boat capable of carrying passengers and of being fastened to similaror other boats to form a raft, thus providing vessels with additionalmeans for saving life at sea. The boats are provided with rowlocks andother appliances for handling them when launched, while at the same timethey are very light, buoyant, and convenient.

In carrying my invention into practice,I provide tworectangularly-shaped mattresses, each formed of a canvas bag orcoveringfilled with cork shavings or other suitable mate rial, and Iconnect the outer edge of one of their sides each to a piece of ash orothersuitable wood, which form (and are hereinafter referred to as) tiesheer-strakes of the boat. The ends of these sheer-strakes arehinged totwo vertical posts, (hereinafter referred to, one as the stem and theother as the stern post,) while the lower ends of these stem and sternposts are connected to another piece of timber forming part of the keelof the boat. In order that the sheer-strakes may be kept apart at theircenter when my improved apparatus is required for use as a boat, Iprovide two pieces of wood or other material of suitable length,according to the beam of the boat required, and I hinge these two piecestogether lengthwise, while their other ends abut against the insideedges of the sheerstrakes. To the under side of the said pieces I alsohinge a vertical support, which passes down to and the lower end ofwhich fits into a groove formed between the ends of two stays passingfrom the outer ends of the said I two pieces down to the bottom of thevertical. support, where they are hinged together and form the groovewhich receives the lower end of the vertical support. Over the frame ofthe boat thus constructed I stretch and secure canvas, to the outside ofwhich, underneath bags, and I sometimes provide an outer covering orprotector of similar construction to the mattresses, the said coverbeing secured along one side to the outer edge of each of the saidmattresses and along the other to the canvas covering above referred to.

I arrange the various parts of my apparatus in such a manner that theymay eit-herbe folded up to form a mattress or be converted into aconvenient boat, as hereinafter more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan of a collapsible boatconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 00 rt, Fig. I.Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line y y, Fig. I. Fig. 5 is asimilar view to 3, but showing the boat collapsed or with the parts inthe positions they occupy when in use as a mattress.

A A are the two mattresses, properly so called, each formed of a canvasbag filled with cork shavings or other similar material and secured attheir top outer edges to the sheerstrakes Z) l). The sheer-strakes arehinged at one end to the stem-post l) and at the other to the stern-postb and. these again are connected at their lower ends with the keel 5which is made hollow and provided with a water-tank, C, which may befilled with fresh water through the pipe c, provided at one end thereof,whence it may be withdrawn, as required, through the suction-pipe a.

11 h" are two pieces of wood hinged together lengthwise to the verticalsupport If by the hinges b I). The outer ends of the pieces I)" b areconnected by hinges If?) to the ends of two stays, 11 b joined togetherat their other ends by a hinge, b", in such a manner that they form agroove, 1) into which the lower end of the vertical support Z1 fits.

It will be readily seen that the sheer-strakes Z) Z), stem and sternposts Z2 and b keel b hinged pieces b 6*, vertical support b and each ofthe mattresses, I secure two air-tight stays U form, when extended,illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11, the frame or skeleton of a boat, which Ithen cover with canvas (7, and to the outside of this canvas I securetwo air-lugs, E, formed of suitable material, and each divided into anumber of ctnapartments, as by the web or pzn'tition c, and I provideeach compartment with a pipe, for intlatingpui wise secured to theshecr-strakes thereof, and

at either end and along the sides of the boat I provide rings. wherebyseveral of my improved collapsible boats may be secured together to forma raft; or the said rings may 1 be employed for steering PUIDOSQS.

It is obvious that I may, if required, provide my convertible mattresswith means for supporting a mast fora sail by passing it through a holein the seat formed by the hinged pieces (1 b and into a recess in thetop of the keel b.

It; will be readily understood from the fore;- going descriptitm that myimproved mattress may, when folded up, as illustrated in Fig. 5, be usedas an ordinary ships mattress, or when extended, as illustrated in Figs.1 to l, be employed either as a raft in conjunction with other boats oras an ordinary rowing or sailingboat possessing great advantages onaccount: of its being verylight and extremely l moyant.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- The herein-described life-saving boat, consisting of askeleton frame comprising a keel, a stem and stern post secured thereto,flexible sheer-st rakes hinged toopposite sides of the stem and sternpost, a vertical standard, a horizontal brace formed in two sectionshinged to said standard, stays for staying said brace, hinged togetherand to the keel so as to form a groove in which the standard is stepped,and a canvas coverin for said frame, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described life-saving boat, consisting of a skeleton framecomprising a keel, a stem and stern post secured thereto, flexibleshew-strakes hinged to opposite sides of the stem and stern post, avertical standard, a luin-izontal brace formed in two sections hinged tosaid standard, stays for staying said brace hinged together and to thekeel so as to form a groove in which the standard is stepped, the outerends of the stays being hinged to the outer ends of the brace, and acanvas covering fol-said frame securedto the 1 keel, the stem and sternposts and the sheerstrakes, respectively, substantially as described.

3. A convertible life-saving boat comprising a canvas-covcred skeletonfolding frame, and mattresses extending lengthwise of the frame onopposite sides, sul'lsttmtially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. In a collapsible life-savingboat, the combination, with acanvas-covered foldable skeleton frame, of inflatable air-chambersdivided into a plurality of compartments or cells arranged and extendinglengthwise of the frame on opposite sides, substantiall 7 as and for thepurposes specified.

5. In a collapsible and convertible life-saving boat, the combination,with a skeleton *anvas-covered folding frame and mattresses secured toand extending lengthwise on opposite sides of said frame, of inflatableairchamljmrs interposed between the mattresses and the skeleton frame,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

G. In a collapsible and convertiblclife-sav- Zing boat, the combination,with a skeleton canvas-covered folding frame and mattresses secured toand extending lengthwise on opposite sides of said frame, of inflatableair chambers divided into a plurality of compartments interposed betweenthe mattresses and the skeleton frame, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

7. In a collapsible and convertible life-saving boat, the combination,with a canvascovered foldable skeleton frame, of mattresses A F,connected with each other and with the sheer-strakes, and canvascovering and int1atable air-chambers interposed between said mattressesand the boat, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

S. In a collapsible and convertible lifesaving boat, the combination,with a canvascovered foldable skeleton frame, of mattresses A F,connected with each other and with the sheer-strakes and canvascovering, and inflatable air-chambers divided into a plurality ofcompartments interposed between said mattresses and the boat,sul'lstantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In a collapsible life-saving boat, a skeleton frame comprising akeel, stem and stern posts, and a sl'lecr-strake hinged to oppositesides of said posts, of a vertical central standard hinged to the keel,a horizontal brace formed in two parts hinged to the central standard,and the lateral or rib braces Z) 12 connected with the horizontal braceand vertical standard, as described, for the purposes specified.

JOHN MARTIN.

\V itnesses:

'l nnclvati AUGUSTUS SMITH, WALTER SMYTHE BAYSTON.

